Ready, Set, Yoga: A Quick Yoga Flow to Banish Bloat and Improve Digestion

I’m one of those people who just happens to be prone to tummy troubles. And the discomfort isn’t the worst part—poor digestion can affect your body’s ability to properly absorb all the nutrients it needs. But what I’ve discovered is this: yoga can actually wake up the digestive tract.

I’ve created a sequence of asanas focused on working the intestinal tract, the colon, and the bowel—follow along in the video. We’ll start with one of my favorites, cat-cow, which massages the organs to help dislodge anything that may be blocking the intestinal tract. Downward dog can help release and stretch those lower-back muscles that have a tendency to get tight in those who have poor digestion. Moving through triangle pose and supine twist from right to left follows the natural digestive flow (the intestinal tract moves in this direction), and can facilitate the movement and elimination of toxins and blockages.

So, whenever you feel like you need a little help getting your gut health back on track—say, before or after a meal—press play to learn how these poses and a few others can help.

Keep in mind, too, that the colon is considered an emotional center within the body. No wonder digestive problems tend to pop up when we’re feeling stressed or depressed. That’s why relaxing in savasana at the end of this practice is so important. And it just feels like bliss!